Is a college degree necessary in aviation?

I know a guy at my airline who never thought he'd give up flying either.

Six figures, beautiful house in the suburbs, great schedule and a stay-at-home wife with a couple of kids.

One day he got sick, lost his medical, eventually running out of disability coverage.

Luckily, he had a degree to fall back on that was able to somewhat maintain his lifestyle because his flying career is over permanently.
 
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Most of you say go to college to have fun. Sure, college is fun, but I can have just as much fun hanging out with my friends, or flying, or experiencing new things as I can in college. I'm not much of a partier/drinker anyway.


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College isn't all about boozing it up. I made it through the University of Colorado at Boulder which is always one of the top party schools and never took a sip of any type of alcohol, never hit the bong or smoked anything and I'm not mormon either. I had a blast there, learned a ton and got a great life experience out of it.

In ten years will you be saying "man, I wish I would have got that degree back then" or "man, I am glad I got this degree to sperate me from the pack"

Can't hurt to have it, but it can sure cost you not to.
 
Here's another thing to think about. You may have lower money needs now. But what about when you get married? Have kids? A bachelors degree in anything will get you paid more than if you have it. You may be just fine eating Ramen for the rest of you life, but don't you want to be able to spend $$ when you want to on your lady?
I'm a retred, didn't finish college the first time around. Now with a year left, and a fiance I have a different perspective on things. Businesses look at you differently when you have a degree.

College, get it now or get it later.
 
People always retort with "Bill Gates didn't go to college and he's a billionaire!"

Yeah, but usually the dork saying that isn't on par with Bill Gates...

I dunno, perhaps it's a political statement, but watching high tech jobs vanish away overseas and then seeing fresh, smart high school kids talk about skipping college to fly around a Cessna makes me extraordinarily anxious about the future of our democracy.

Unless, of course, someone can name me an under-educated country who is a world power.
 
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Most of you say go to college to have fun. Sure, college is fun, but I can have just as much fun hanging out with my friends, or flying, or experiencing new things as I can in college. I'm not much of a partier/drinker anyway.

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No you can't. You'll realize this after you've graduated college and been on your own for a while. Don't bother trying to argue it, because you simply don't know.

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The future? I could be hit by a bus (or a prop) tomorrow. There are no guarantees I'll even be around in 15 years. Why not enjoy life as much as I can instead of spending it worring about making lots of money.

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Wow, great way to think. I might not be around next week, so I'm going to sell all my stuff and stay completely wasted for the next 7 days. To hell with preparing for something in the future because I might not be around to do it. Oh damn, looks like I still am around and I don't have anything, now I'm screwed.

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The whole reason I fly is because that's what I love to do.

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If you become one of those CFIs who instructs for free because you "love to fly", or PFT because you "love to fly", I'll have to beat you with a folding chair.

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However, why should I spend four years on a college campus in Kalamazoo learning about profit trends of cellphone companies, or quadratic equations, or who the king of France was in the 14th century, and working toward a USELESS degree when I could be on my own in Chicago, socializing, working, flying, and just LIVING LIFE.

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I spent one term in economics, zero terms on France, learned quadratic equations in middle school. Sure you'll have to take the "core courses", but if you pick a decent school (read NOT aviation), then you'll have a wide variety of classes to choose from, and even I, who thought those classes would suck, found ones that I liked.

As for what your parents want, well, if you're paying for college, then find a major that interests you (if you can't find one, then you need to get out more). If your parents are going to pay for college, then you need a serious smack with the stupid stick if you don't go.

Go to college, and don't major in aviation science.
 
You seem like you have a decent head on your shoulders, go to school. You have all these negative opinions on college but have you yet to take a college course?

Get the degree, you'll be a helluva lot more marketable in finding a job and you'll have a backup for when the aviation takes another dump.
 
ps. I would posit that no degree is useless. You just may use it in another fasion. A 4 yr. degree in Renaissance Literature will work just as well as Pre-Med, or Computer Science.

Now I realize it may su*k to go to school. I have alot better things I'd rather do with my time than study, honestly. But how I/you feel really doesn't matter when you look at your life. Start at the end, where do you want to go? What will it take to get there? Just work backwards and see what needs happen when and do it.

You've probably figured out that there are a lot of things in life that just aren't fun. Ce' La Vie.

It seems like you are on the right track, just remember that once college is behind you, its behind you.
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I can enjoy life more without going to school.

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Going to school was probably one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Don't put all your eggs in one basket with this job you might live to regret it!
 
(Warning: long post)

You guys are 100% right, there is so much more to life than flying and having fun. I'm definitely going to college, and I'm not going to major in aviation. A degree may not be necessary in flying, but it is necessary in life.

Unfortunately, my parents are picking my major so I'll probably be majoring in something like business or accountancy. At least with those degrees I can get out of school and make some money, instead of instructing or going to the regionals and making a McDonald's salary. I can still have fun at school and I won't have to spend so much of my free time (or money) on flying.

I guess this means I'm giving up on aviation. It just doesn't make sense for me to get into it now, maybe later on after the industry turns around and I'm secure financially. Being a professional pilot is just a dream, I need to college and do something that's realistic. In 10 years I'll problably be a CPA instead of a ATP, but I will be making more money for myself and for my family if I ever get married or have kids.

As for flying, I'll miss it but it will still be there in 20 or 30 years. One day I'll get back into it, even if it's just renting a Cessna and having someone fly me around. I may never be a pilot, but I'll always be an aviatior.
 
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. . .Being a professional pilot is just a dream, I need to college and do something that's realistic.

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Darn . . . those silly dreams again.
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Why are you giving up on aviation just because you've now made the decision not going to major in it? If it's your dream - stay with it. Even in these tough times, I wouldn't say becoming a pilot is unrealistic. I'm in roughly the same spot as you. I'm majoring in engineering, but I sure as hell don't want that to postpone flying for 20-30 years. As for the original low wages, that's a sacrifice that needs to be made.

Anyway, go with what you think is best. Like I said, I'm just about to start college and I don't have any experience being a pilot or getting to that goal, so take my advice for what it's worth.
 
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Unfortunately, my parents are picking my major so I'll probably be majoring in something like business or accountancy. At least with those degrees I can get out of school and make some money, instead of instructing or going to the regionals and making a McDonald's salary.

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You sure about that? There's no guarantee of a job even with those degrees. Personally, the only way I'd let my parents pick my degree is if they agreed to go to work for me and then give me the money they make. In the end, it's YOUR life and you're the one who is gonna have to work whatever job you get. If you don't like what you're doing, you'll be miserable. I'd rather make a McDonald's salary and be happy than stare at cubical walls wondering "what if?"
 
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I can enjoy life more without going to school.

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What could be more enjoyable than four years surrounded by young single women wanting to hook up?
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Man I miss college!!
 
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I can enjoy life more without going to school.

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What could be more enjoyable than four years surrounded by young single women wanting to hook up?
grin.gif


Man I miss college!!

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Me too!

I can't remember all the names.....
 
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Unfortunately, my parents are picking my major so I'll probably be majoring in something like business or accountancy. At least with those degrees I can get out of school and make some money, instead of instructing or going to the regionals and making a McDonald's salary. I can still have fun at school and I won't have to spend so much of my free time (or money) on flying.

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Why are your parents picking your major for you? Unless they're paying for college, pick your own major, it's your life. Glad you realized that you shouldn't major in aviation.


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I guess this means I'm giving up on aviation. It just doesn't make sense for me to get into it now, maybe later on after the industry turns around and I'm secure financially. Being a professional pilot is just a dream, I need to college and do something that's realistic. In 10 years I'll problably be a CPA instead of a ATP, but I will be making more money for myself and for my family if I ever get married or have kids.

As for flying, I'll miss it but it will still be there in 20 or 30 years. One day I'll get back into it, even if it's just renting a Cessna and having someone fly me around. I may never be a pilot, but I'll always be an aviatior.

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Now this is probably the dumbest thing you've said yet. No one here suggested that you give up on your aviation career just because you go to college. What we said was don't major in aviaton. Why? Because it's worthless. Why is it worthless? Because nobody (airlines included) cares about an aviation science degree.

Most people in aviation DON'T have a degree in aviation. I majored in computer engineering, one of the harder majors, and my career is flying airplanes. When other pilots ask me what I majored in, they often gasp and ask why I did that to myself. I just laugh quietly. I did it because that's the major I wanted.

Another bonus to picking a real major is that you'll have a leg up on the others who didn't. Compared to some of my college classes, 121 groundschool was easy.
 
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